9 of the Best Fat-Burning Superfoods

Everyone wants the body of their dreams. Chiseled abs. A lean, sculpted body. Of course, achieving your dream body involves a mix of healthy eating and regular exercise. But some superfoods can tip the scales in your favor by helping your body to burn fat, even stubborn belly fat.

3. Hot Peppers

Are you a fan of spicy foods? If so, you now have even more of a reason to indulge in your favorite hot sauce or curry.

That’s because most spicy foods contain a compound called capsaicin. It’s the compound responsible for the burning sensation you feel from spicy foods.

Scientists have found that capsaicin can temporarily boost your metabolism and increase your feelings of satiety (6).

In other words, it can help you burn more calories and eat less at the same time. This is a great way to get your body to burn off excess fat.

4. Coconut Oil

It might seem counterintuitive that eating fat can help you burn fat, but that’s just what coconut can do. Unlike other saturated fats, coconut has MCTs or medium chain triglycerides, which promote fat burning, especially around the belly area (7).

In one study of overweight women, the group consuming coconut oil had a significant decrease in abdominal fat. Not only that, they also got a bump in their HDL (the good kind) cholesterol (8).

A study of obese men also found that coconut oil led to a decrease in waist size, which is especially important since abdominal fat is the most dangerous type for your health (9).

5. Green Coffee Beans

Not just any old cup of joe will do. Sure, coffee stimulates your nervous system which signals cells to break down more fat (10). But the real boost in fat burning from coffee comes from the unroasted variety, also known as green coffee.

Evidence suggests that this compound can help slow the absorption of carbohydrates (11). This prevents insulin spikes which can contribute to weight gain.

6. Plant Proteins

Many breakfast and lunch options are loaded full of carbs that trigger inflammation in the body and cause belly bulge.

But there’s a simple meal hack that can help you eat less and feel full longer: plant proteins. Because plant proteins take longer to digest than carbs, they make you feel full longer, so you’re less likely to overeat.

Healthy plant protein sources also help to balance blood sugar levels so you avoid the spikes in insulin that promote belly fat (12).

7. Dark Chocolate

Contrary to common belief, it’s not chocolate that makes you gain weight. It’s the sugar in the chocolate. Good news for chocolate lovers, right?

But it gets even better. If you eat dark chocolate it can actually help you lose weight.

One study, for example, found that simply by smelling dark chocolate you can decrease your appetite (13). The natural fats in chocolate can also help control your appetite even further.

Chocolate is even more effective for slimming down because it also helps relieve stress, an established factor in weight gain (14).

8. Probiotic Foods

Gut bacteria is finally getting the recognition it deserves from health experts. And for good reason, since gut bacteria plays a critical role in your health. Recent evidence even suggests that the bacteria in your gut can determine if you’re overweight or thin (15).

By eating fermented foods such as sauerkraut, kimchi, kombucha, or kefir you can add in more good bacteria to restore a healthy balance.

Probiotics can even boost fat burning. A double-blind placebo controlled study on the strain L. gasseri, showed those taking the probiotic had a significant reduction in abdominal (belly) fat (16).